Pavel Dorofeyev was supposed to be the chosen one. He was supposed to set the single-season record for the most goals as a Vegas Golden Knight, given his penchant for sniping and power play prowess. After all, he held the single-season record for the most power play goals with 20 in 2025-26.
Suddenly, the Golden Knights didn't have anyone (on paper, at least) who could break William Karlsson's single-season goals record (43 in 2017-18). However, a bigger statistic loomed large after Dorofeyev was traded to the New York Rangers. Nobody scored more than 50 goals in a season for the Golden Knights. Not Dorofeyev. Not Jonathan Marchessault.
There are still eight teams waiting on their first 50-goal scorer. Who gets there first? 👀 pic.twitter.com/mX4510hf1I
— BarDown (@BarDown) August 8, 2026
That's right, dear reader. The Golden Knights are one of eight teams that still don't have a 50-goal scorer in their franchise history. Granted, there's a reason for this: Vegas started playing in 2017. That's why teams like the Minnesota Wild, the Utah Mammoth, and the Seattle Kraken are also on the list.
That leads to the ultimate questions: Will the Golden Knights ever have a 50-goal scorer? Is there anybody on the current roster who can pull off this feat? Who could Kelly McCrimmon get to achieve this first?
Who could be the first player in Vegas Golden Knights history to score 50 goals?
Realistically, there isn't a player on the current Golden Knights roster who has scored 50 goals in their respective careers. The most goals that Mitch Marner scored in his career were 35 (2021-22). Jack Eichel's career-high was 36 in 2019-20. Mark Stone? His career-high was 33 in 2018-19.
As mentioned, the closest you're getting is 43 in 2017-18 by William Karlsson. Granted, you could pull off the impossible and get a former 50-goal scorer on a PTO. But how many players will you find that fit the criteria here?
They could also go after a player with 50-goal potential (think Jason Robertson). However, the NHL hasn't been too hot on 50-goal scorers in the past decades. In fact, nobody had 50 goals when the Golden Knights started in the NHL in 2017-18.
If the Golden Knights were to achieve this first, something would need to change. First, players like Marner and Stone would have to take on goal-scoring responsibilities. But it isn't just this that would change.
The Golden Knights have to stay healthy throughout a respective season. That's easier said than done, especially when you look at players like Karlsson and Stone. Vegas has been hammered by injuries throughout its franchise history, leaving it without a 50-goal scorer.
The Golden Knights' philosophy leaves the team unable to achieve the 50-goal feat easily
Throughout the Golden Knights' franchise history, the team has seen its fair share of head coaches come through the door. Of course, that's part of the ever-changing business. However, one philosophy has remained the same since Gerard Gallant kicked things off.
That would be the distribution philosophy, where the Golden Knights have had multiple instances of players with 50+ assists in a single season. David Perron (50 in 2017-18) comes to mind, along with Jack Eichel (66 in 2024-25 and 63 in 2025-26) and Mitch Marner (56 in 2025-26). The team has never been about one player hogging the goal-scoring spotlight. Instead, it's been about finding the best scoring opportunities.
In turn, it's led to postseason appearances in every season except one (2021-22), three Stanley Cup Final appearances, and a Stanley Cup. You know how the old saying goes: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Since the team's distribution policy has worked wonders for its success, it leaves the team to wait out its 50-goal search a little bit longer.
Add us as a preferred source on Google